For the 3rd year in a row, MTN Uganda has been ranked as having the best network in Uganda for both data and voice in 2022 following an independent network test from a global firm, Rohde & Schwarz. The last time these tests were done by the regulator UCC was in 2018.
ALSO READ: A list of VISA-free, eVISA, VISA-on-Arrival, and VISA-required countries for Ugandans
MTN Uganda at the time rejected the UCC network benchmark test results, and later, hired Rohdes & Schwarz–one of the world’s leading Network Monitoring and Testing companies to fill the gap. Since then, MTN has never looked back and contracted Rohde & Schwarz to conduct network tests. The giant telecom has always won the title of the best telecom company in Uganda since 2020 with the “Highest Network Performance Score” for its data and voice services. The tests are always conducted using the ITU/ETSI standards and methodologies.
Rohde & Schwarz performed a mobile network benchmarking campaign assessing the quality of the country’s networks including MTN Uganda, Airtel, and Lyca to rank their performance.
The firm measured smartphone voice and data performance based on ‘drive tests’ across various cities, towns, and roads, covering 9,373 kilometers. More than 16,100 voice calls and 96,500 individual data service tests were performed to calculate a Network Performance Score in line with ETSI TR 103 559.
“Rohde & Schwarz SwissQual AG, as the issuer of this document, certifies that MTN Uganda attained the Best Network Performance Score for Uganda, assessed during the MTN Group Benchmarking Campaign from September 15 to December 6, 2022,” said Hanspeter Bobst, the CEO Rohde & Schwarz SwissQual AG.
He added: “We congratulate MTN Uganda for ranking first with a score of 716 out of 1000 points on the Rohde & Schwarz Network Performance Score.”
In a press statement, MTN Uganda indicated that they scored 324 out of 400 for voice services and 392 out of 600 for data services. Rohde & Schwarz also found MTN Uganda as having voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) enabled mobile-to-mobile voice calls between two smartphones countrywide. No comparative results for other networks have been shared by the giant telecom firm.
In terms of testing, MTN Uganda achieved an average download of up to 5MB and an average upload of up to 2MB as measured in maximal bitrate.
MTN Uganda Chief Executive Officer, Sylvia Mulinge, said this was the second year in a row that the telecom company attained the Best Network Performance Score.
“This score is a confirmation that MTN Uganda remains the telecom company in the country with the best network for both data and services,” she said.
“As MTN Uganda, our focus is to ensure that the population enjoys the benefits of a modern connected life, and this is the reason we are investing in the latest technologies, products, and services to achieve this aspiration.”
The company expedited the 4G network rollout by building 664 4G network sites in 2021 that in turn increased the 4G coverage countrywide. It also embarked on a spectrum efficiency program to migrate data traffic from 3G to 4G which improved the data experience with faster throughputs delivered on the 4G network.
